Filling apparatus



1940- G. A. RoBmsofi 2,1 9

FILLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30', 1937 INVENTOR BY M eamw ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES FILLING APPARATUS George A. Robinson, Milton, Mass, assignor to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 30,

3 Claims.

v taclesmayubefilled-with substantially equal volumes of material during the operation of the apparatus through any predetermined interval of fi ller V With this general object in view, and Sllfih others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the filling apparatus and in the vari-.

ous structures, arrangements, and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly up defined in the claims at the end of this specificanm- I In the drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view, partly in cross section illustrating the essentials of the present filling apparatus; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a detailtg ber efgred to; and Fig.

0 5 is a side elevation of a portmfthe 'ap- -'radius so that the force of the material disparatus shown in Fig. 1. v

In general, the present invention contemplates a cgnstruction of filling apparatus in which provision is made forcausing a stream of flowable solid material to flow in a substantiallyuniform manner. Provision is made for sub-dividing the stream of material thus fed into a plurality of smaller but uniform streams, and for delivering such smaller sti-e'ains intolidividual packages, cartons, or other receptacles, wheriiy during the operation of the apparatus through deiinite interval of time a plurality of packages, (Efi' tons or other receptacles may be economically filled with substantially equal volumes of the ma- 5 terial. In its preferred form the apparatus contemplates the provision of a worm for feeding the main stream of material; and theprovision of a distributing member for distributing the material delivered by thejvorm uniformly into a plurality of compartmentsthrough which theindividual streams are delivered toppackages, cartons, or other receptacles disposed beneath the same. The apparatus contemplates mechanism for initiating and discontinuing the operation of the feed worm and distributing device.

1937, Serial No. 123,262

Referring now to the drawing, the filling'apparatus illustrated therein is provided with a hopper casing l0 and a feed worm l4 designed to feed the material through the hopper at a substantially uniform rate of flow. The hopper l 0 is supplied with the material from any usual source of supply through a supply tube l2. The worm l4, rotatably mounted Within the hopper I0, is provided at its lower end with a distributing'device, herein shown as a disk l6 which is secured thereto and rotatable therewith. .The distributing disk I 6 comprises a fiat plate l8 provided with a plurality of narrow upstanding vanes 20 radially arranged thereon. The lower end of the hopper I0 is provided with an annular funnel shaped casing 22 suitably secu d h to. As he m rial is centrifugally expelled from the disk !5 t is guided through the casing 22 which is shaped at its upper end to offer the least resistance to the natural flow of the material.

As herein shown, the casing 22 is divided into two sections by a transversely extended dividing member 24. In its preferred form, the upper portion of the outer wall of the casing 22 is slYapedaw to present a smoothly curved interior surface and to eliminate any sharp corners, into which the material'might be liable to pack or jam, and as illustrated, see Fig. 3, the curvature of such upper portion of the casing is preferably on a large tributed by the disk i 6 is directed against such curved surfaces causing the stream of material being delivered by the worm to be divided in a most uniform and even manner. After passing through the casing 22 the material is discharged through discharge spouts 28 and introduced into the cartons placed beneath them. The cartons may be positioned by hand or by a suitable conveyor, not shown.

In order to assure a uniform distribution of the material delivered by the disk l6 so that each margin may receive a substantially equal volume of matrial an adjustment is provided to permit the distributionof the material to be varied. This adjustment is provided for one compartment only as it has been found in fiacticeithat any variation in the feeding of the material'bythe worm will be uniformly constant, hence the single adjustment usually serves to equalize the flow of the material into the different compartments.

' As herein shown, the adjustment is accomplished v plate is provided with studs 32 which extend into a slotted supporting members 34. The extended ends of the studs are provided with wing nuts 38 which may be tightened to retain the plate 30 in its adjusted position. As illustrated in Figs. 1

, 5 and 2, when the plate is lowered it will reduce the aperture through which the material is centrifugally expelled from the disk IE on one side. In operation, if it is found that it is desirable to provide the adjustment at a difierent position, it will be seen that the casing 22 may be revolved to present the adjustment in the desired position.

In addition to its function as a centrifugal distributor, the disk l6 serves to retain the material at thev mouth of the hopper l0 when the feed worm I4 is stopped. In the usual worm feed hopper, when the worm is stopped, the material at the mouth of the hopper below the worm would naturally fall by gravity into the packages beneath. In the present case, this would cause an une n distribution, as the volume of material below the worm would be greater on one side than on the other on account of the pitch of the feed worm. The radial vanes also serve to disintegs grate the material which may have become tightly packed together by the feed worm.

Provision is made for driving the feed worm is and for stopping and starting the worm at predetermined intervals in the operation of the so apparatus'and as herein shown, the upper end of the worm is provided with a bevel gear Ml which meshes with a bevel gear d2 secured to a I l5)rt shaft 44. The shaft 44, journaled in a beariig'fitexteng from the hopper I0, is provided at its outer endwvith a sprocket 68 which is connected to a sprocketBll by a chain 52. The.

sprocket 50, loosely mounted on a drive shaft 56 forms the givenmember faciu e driving -maembefifi being slidably secured to the shaft 54. 40 The shaft 54 may be driven through any usual or preferred means, as by an electric motor, not shown, belted to a pulley 60 secured to the shaft 54. The driving member 58 of the clutch is arranged to be shifted .by a lever 62, pivoted at 64 5 and actuated by an adjustable cam, one member 56 being keyed to the cam shaft 66 and the other 55 quently 'the duration of the feeding time, is

accomplished by sliding the loosely mounted member 88 of the cam around and aligning the slot 15 with one of the series of holes 16 provided in the fixed member 6d and tightening tt ie bolh 80 T8 in the desired position.

While the wornmii and distributing disk It e een erein illustrated and described for the purpose of feeding anddistributing the main stream of material being fed, nevertheless it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect as viewed in its broader aspects certain features of a,1eo,o1s

the invention may be used with advantage with other types of feeding distributing devices, and

in some instances in gravity feed filling apparatus.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

' Having thus described the invention what is claimed is: 4

1. In a filling apparatus of; the character described, in combination, a casing, material feeding means within the casing for feeding a main stream of material therethrough, a cylindrical chamber disposed at the mouth of said casin and having the interior of its outer walls smoothly curved, a centrifugal distributing member for directing the material from the mouth of said casing against said curved walls, said enlarged chamber having partitioning means for separating the chamber into equal sections whereby to permit the chamber to subdivide the material into smaller but uniform streams, and means for restricting theflow of material from one portion of said distributing member whereby to adjust the how into one section.

2. In a filling apparatus of the character described, in combination, a casing, material feeding means within the casing for feeding a main stream of material therethrough, a cylindrical chamber disposed at the mouth of said casing and having the interior of its outer walls.

smoothly curved, a centrifugal distributing member for directing t e material from the mouth of said casing agains said curved walls, said enlarged chamber h artitioning means for se fitin'gmhamber into equal sections ing meanswithin the casing for feeing almainmn stream of material therethrough, a chamber surrounding the mouth of the casing and depending therefrom, a centrifugal distributing member disposed immediately below the mouth of the casing and within the upper part of said chamber, the in ri walls of said chamber extending outwardly from the mouth of the casing above mid distributing member and spaced a short distance therefrom and being smoothly gurvieiflof GEORGE a aoarnson. 

